Oliver pkestott smith



0. P. SMITH.

CAP LOCK.

APPLlcmoN FILED Mylo. |920.

Patented ocu-31,1922.

IIIIIIIIIIIII Patented ct. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER PRESTON sivirriior` CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

.Cnr LOOK.

Appiication sied May i0, 192e.` Asenin No. 380,055.

To all 1n/wm; t 'may concer/rt.'

Be it knoivnthat I, OLIVER PRESTON Siurrii. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, yin thev county of Cook and Vtitate ofllinois, have invented new` and useful improvements in Cap Lpcks, ot'tvhi'ch the lollowingis a tull,"clear, concise, and` exact description,` reterence'being had to the accompanying drawing, torming'a part "ot this specilication.

i Thisinvention relates to an improved form ot cap lock for securingthe caps used to close the inlet and/Outlet aperturesin tanks, cans, etc.7 `tothe body'of the tank or` l can.l and more particularly 4to av locking bolt cans without any change orreconstruction ot the tanks or cans. f

.another object of the invention resides in the production Ot'a lockingl device of this character which is very simple and which` ma): be `quicklyy installed With very little etliort. i

.another object resides in the` production ot' an improved torni of locking device" for this purpose', in which the key is heldl inthe lock when said lock is turned tothe unlocked position. This prevents loss ot the lock when it is removed from its locking position and also tends to insure therepl'acing` ot' the lock yvvhen the cap has `been replaced i over the enclosure opening.` y

The invention is particularly applicable and is of great commercial utility in the protection voi" inotor jifneters.` gasoline vtank caps., etc. The motor meter is @inexpensive instrument and is appliedL to theradiator cap Otan automobile, which cap kin turn is simply screw-threaded to the radiator nipple. ln' alike manner7 thecaps ot gasoline tanks are merely scieivthreaded to the tank.

lwhich is exceedingly annoying.

Because Ot the ease with which these caps cantbe removed they constitute a great in cent-ive for petty larcency. A simple7 effective device for locking these caps to their respective enclosures isconsequently desirable. Various devices have been constructed for this purpose but they have not been found practical or commercial because they `either necessitate the reorganization and design of the cap or nipple, or both, or they are oi. such a character and design which makes them rather expensive per se and expensive to install.

The cap lock constructed in` `accordance with this invention is designed to obviate and eliminate these diiiiculties and this is accomplished by makingthe entire lock in the form ot a locking bolt,` the lock and bolt being` a physical entity or unitary structure. The installation ot this locking bolt is very simply `and easily effected, and comprises merely the drillingot aligned apertures in the cap and the nipple surrounding` the enclosure opening, into Which apertures the locking bolt is inserted. `The installation ot thisfiorin ot lock consequently does not require the services of a special mechanic, as .it requires no reorganization, the operation of installing consisting Ymerely in drilling a hole through the cap and nipple when the cap, has been screwed home on said nipple.

'lhe sin'ii'ilicity ot' this lock and the ease vwith which it can be installed ,makes it exceedingly attractive to `motorists tor the purpose ot protecting the motor meter and the cap ot the gasoline tank, the loss of Furthermore the lock is so constructed that any 'gases which may be generated in the tank or enclosure Will be substantially confined in said enclosure, and will thus not be permitted to escape through the lock mecha- Iiiism into the ati'nosphere.

The specin'c embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described shoivs the lock applied to a motor meter and gas tank cap, but the invention obviously is capable 't' rother applications and many other variations, the scopeof the invention being set 'out in the appended claims.

` For the 4purposes of description several embodiments ot my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawin in which- Fig. 1 is an illustration in ront elevation of a portion of a radiator with the cap and motor meter imposition. onrthg'atfrnand the looking' bolt in position tob ro y lock the motor meter to the radiator;

Fig. 2 is a view in section throu h ,the radiator nipple andthecapfcarryirl emotor meter and shows the locking bolt in. position for securing the ca to the nipple;

Fig. 3 is a` longitudin fseconalqview of the locking bolt;

`F ig. 4 isa section taken onfthe lam indicated bythe line 4-4 of Fig. 3i ooking in thetdirection of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on theplane indicated by the line 5-`5 ofwFig. 3 'looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fi 6 is a modified form of locking bolt in w ich means are provided for adjusting the position of the locking bar to adapt the locking Ibolt for caps .and nipples of varying thicknesses; v

Fig. 7 is anillustration in front elevation of the lock applied to aatanksuch as is usu- -ally used to carry the gasolinafsupply for an automobile;.and

Fig. 8 is a Aplan View of the, keyfthat is v.used rwiththe preferred form of locln-illus- 3o trated in the'ligures.

Referring now to the1 drawings in detail, and more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be notedthat the lockingboltA comprises a housing 10 which carries the lodiing mechanism.

35 The housing 10 is preferably cylindrical in ahapetand carries at its frontend the enlarged liange 11s adapted to bei-inserted in a ,countersunk portion in the .cap to which the `bolt is to besapplied. vThe housing 10 is tted at its front4 end with a ke admitting plate 12 which is fitted .with a s ot 13 to receive the key. Therhou ,.10, as clearly rillustrated in Fig. 3, is a ho ow cylinder and has-fitted on its inner surface, at the. front .end thereof, the yprojecting circular ents 14 and 15. The segments 14 and 15 unction to retain the key usedffor locking the bolt in position in the said lock when'thesame is in its unlocked position.

Positioned onthe inner surface of the cylindrical housing, immediately in back of the segments 14 and 15, are the projecting lugs 16 and 17, saidlugs serving to limit the i movement of the key in the operation of turni the lockingfbolt to its locked position. n`hese lugs consequently serve to indicate to the operator when the devicehas-been turned to the locked as Well as the unlocked position. The llugs also serve as a means for changing the character -and construction of the key used to.unlock and, lock the mechanism as hereinafter described. The inner A surface of the cylindrical housing 10 is tted at 18 with a right angular shoulder,

which is adapted to receive the key plate 19, which carries the slots 2O adapted to coo erate with the key for the purpose of loc ingand. unlockin the meclmxsm, The key @1Mb 19,48. leowy irte@ li thifbilndrical enclosure 10 against the right angular shoulder 18.

tb thereafnd of the key plate by means of a rivet 21 is the locking bar 22, the

' 'locking bar 22 being loosely fitted on the v rivet 21.5 Directly back of the locking bar 22 is a plate 23 which is held in position against the locking bar 22 by a spiral spring V-24,..said -sprin beingdield in compression ybetween.-theg` te 23` and the end plate 25. The end plate 25 serves to close the `end openofthe cylindrical housin 10 and is positioned in asright angulars oulder at the end of said housing in any suitable manner.

. Itl willbe evident from the description of the lockconstructionl just completed, that any gases which may be generated in the tank or enclosurmsuoh as gasoline vapors,

f steam,r etc.; willnot be permitted to escape througnthe `Alimiting bolt mechanism, but will be substantiallyonined .in the tank or vencloaure.Y Thus'the rear vend of the locking -bolt issealed byythe end 25 andthe only,.opening1 inte the locking. bolt housing 10 1s the slot cut into said housing to accom- .modatethe .locking bar 22. This slot is substantially `closed by said locki .bar 22 and .such. gases, which. may gain 'ssion into :the-housing 10 through the restrictedV opening vwhich surroundsthe locking bar 22', are prevented fromrescaping throu h the lock- ',mg bolt into the atmosphere by t e key plate 19, which Adivides and separates the housing l0kit0-two compartments. The ,key plate 19 Serves the'dual function of anting as a means through which the locking bar 22 is operated and as a means for plreventing the 1escape ofgnsesandliquids w ich may find their way mtothe. rear compartment of the housing 10. The. locking `bolt .consequently serves as an effective means for lockingthe ca land. this locking of the cap is accompllshed without' introducing any effective `by way of which gases or liquids generated in the enclosure might escape to 4the atmosphere.

In Fig. 8 is shownthe key which is adapted to` lockandunlock the mechanism illus trated in Fig. 3x' `Obviously the commercial construction ofthS lookin mechanism, the 'slots' 20, the. lugs land 1 and other elements ofthe mechanism will be varied to ar- =range for alarge number of different shapes and. kinds of keys for locking-and unlocking theamecbanismiy'llhis. variation in the key 'structure and inithe locking mechanism to changethecharacter of keynecessary to unlock the Varioustypes of locks is well known to 4those skilled vin the art. Thus a large number of variations may be obtained by y f i l changingthe shape or positions,` or both, of

inserted into the `slot-13, the locking bolt being positioned in theslocked position, it will be' carried into thelocking mechanism until the prongs 28at the end of thev key 29 ride in'the slots 20 of the keyi plate.

.`When in'this position, the notches 30 yout in the key will align with the segments 14' and 15, and consequently whenthe key'is turned,

so to throwv thelocking bar 22 to ythe iinlocked position, these notches will ride in these segments and the key cannot` be f'removed. f-

' It will thus be evident thatthe key is per-- manently held in the locking bolt whenever."

the mechanism is inthe, unlocked position by 'the interaction between the slots 3() of the key and the segments` 1e and 15 of the locking mechanism. The 'movement of the key from the unlocked to the locked position of the locking 'bolt and'fro`m the Ylocked tothe unlocked position is controlled by the 'pro-` jecting lugsz `16 and 17, which strike against the edge` 3l of the key to prevent movement thereoil when 'the-keyis turned to either the' locked or `unlocked position,

As clearly illustrated in Fig.` the locking bar 22 loosely secured lto the key plate 19 by the pivot 21 is eccentrically located on such key plate, and consequently when the key plate 19 is turned through the me diuin ot the key, due to the eccentric inter, connection between thekey plate andthe bar 22, the locking bar .,22 will be projected from the exterior surfacer of the housing 10, as 'shown in dotted lines in Fig.

The position to wh'ichthe `key plateand the locking bar is moved yby vthe'key, 29fis maintained by trictional contact between the key plate 19 and housing 10, said frictional'. contact `being increased through the conn pression spring 24, as hereipnbefore' described.A y f y j `Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the locking bolt illustrated 'in detail in Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive can be `readily .fitted and installed on the cap 'carrying the motor meter, so as `to securely lock the motor meter and capto the filling nipple of they radiator hood. The installation oi' the locking` bolt is an exceedingly rsimple operation consisting merely in drilling a hole through the filling nipple132 and the flange 33 ofthe radiator cap when thev radiator vcap has been screwedhome on the nipple 32. The hole `drilled throughithe nipple 32 and the )flange of the cap 33 is of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the .body` of vthe housing 10 of the locking bolt, andthe'l'ange of the cap 33 is'l preferably countersunk slightly by a larger drill having a diameter l*substantially equal to the fiange F1 1 ot the the locking bolt serves as a convenient means y `ior adusting the locking bolt to caps and nipples of varying thicknesses. Thus, by regulating the depth of the countersunk portion in the cap, vthe thickness through the cap and flange can be adjusted to equal the linear separation between the inner shoulder of the flange 11 andthe locking face of the locking bar 22. `When the thickness ot the flange of the cap and the nipple 32 is equal to the linear distance' between the outer face of the keyadmitting plate 12 and the locking face of the locking `bar 22,.the cap is counterl `'sunk a distance exactly equal to theilangc `11, and the key admitting plate will then be flush` with `the exterior surface of theI cap ilange. For any variations in the thickness of the flange. of the'cap and nipple, in which `their combined thicknessis either less than `or greaterthan the linear distance between vthe face of the keyadmitting plate 12 and the locking face of the locking bar 22, the face of the key `admittingplate will either project beyond the tace of the cap or be y counter'sunk so `as to be positioned belowthe face of the cap accordingly as this distance i is less 'or greater respectively. When these aligned holes or apertures have been drilled "in the filling nipple 32 and the flange of the cap 33, it will be evident that thelocking bolt can be readilyinserted through the aligned apertures, after which the key will be turned tothe locked position and the locking bar 22y will assume the position 'shown 1n Fig. 2, thereby permanently locking the bolt in its position in the aligned `apertures and'also locking the radiator cap 34 and its associated motor meter 35 `to `the nipple 32 of the radiator. j

`lnFig. 1 is shown the rfrontview of a motor meter and associated cap secured to the radiator with the locking bolt in position, and illustrates the fact that the application of the locking., bolt to the cap for locking itto the,y radiator in no way disligures the cap. lThe presence of the'locking bolt in the cap can hardly be observed owing to its exceedingly small siaefHowever, notwithstanding the smallness of the lock it amply serves its purposek of preventing the stealing ofthe motor meter and associated cap, since thefts of this kind are invariably made by sneak thieves who rob this equipment merely because of the ease with which'it can be removed. The lock ositively secures the capy to the radiator an the cap can `only be removed by unlocking the locking boltland removing it vfrom its posin tionginf the aligned apertures' or by violently destroying thelock-or the cap. y A

Fig. 7 is illustration of thejmanner in whichthe lock is appliedt'oa' cap secu'red said last mentioned means to lock said means in -the interlocking position, said locking means being positioned in 'said iirst mentioned means to substantially confine any gases contained inthe enclosure.

7. In a device of the character described,

and to substantially confine any enclosed gases and liquids. y

8. In a device of the character described,

in combination` anenclosure, a filling aper,`

ture for said enclosure carrying a nipple.y a cap adapted to be secured to said nipple to cover said aperture, said cap and nipple being iitted with aligned apertures, a locking bolt including` a locking bar adapted to be inserted through said aligned apertures to interlock said cap and said nipple, means permitting a movement of said locking bar for adjusting said locking bolt to caps and nipples of varying thicknesses, and

a locking means carried by saidv bolt tov lock it in position in said apertures.

9. In a device of the characterv described, in combination, an enclosure, a iilling aperture for said enclosure carrying a nipple, a cap adapted to be secured to said nipple to cover said aperture, said cap and nipple being tted with aligned apertures, a locking bolt adapted to be inserted through said aligned apertures to interlock said cap and said nipple, means'for adjusting said lock-` ing bolt to caps and nipples oit varying thicknesses, a locking means carried by said bolt to lock it in position in said apertures, a key adapted to operate said locking means, and means carried by said bolt ior maintaining said key in said bolt when the bolt is in the unlocked position.

10. In a device of the character described, in combination, a radiator litted with a filling nipple, a radiator cap, a motormeter to interlock said nipple and cap, and a vapor and liquid confining means carried by said locking means whereby the gases and vapors coniined in the radiator cannot escape to the atmosphere through said locking means.

s 11. In a device of the character described, in combination, a radiator iitted with `a filling nipple, a radiator cap, a motor meterv carried by said cap, means Jto-removably associate said cap with said nipple, a locking bolt comprisinga physical entity adapted to interlock said nipple and cap, locking means carried by -said bolt for locking said bolt in position and a vapoi` and liquid conlining means carried. by said bolt whereby the gases and vapors in the radiator` cannot escape through said bolt into the atmosphere.

l2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a radiator fitted with a filling nipple, a radiator cap adapted to be screwed on'said nipple, a motor meter earried by said cap, aligned apertures in said cap and nipple, means adapted to be inserted in said aligned apertures to interlock said cap and nipple, a key cooperating with Vsaid lmeans, and means co-operating with said key, whereby the key is retained and held in said iirst mentioned means when said `means is in the unlocked position, whereby said key will act as a suitable handle for the insertion and removal oi' said means in the aligned apertures.

13. In a device of the character described, in combination, a bolt adapted to lock two parts by insertingsaid bolt in aligned apertures of said parts, a locking means including a locking bar carried by said bolt to lock it in said aligned apertures, and means carried by said locking means to permit a movement of said locking bar to adapt said bolt to apertures of different thicknesses.

14;. In a device oi the character described, in combination, a bolt adapted to lock two parts by inserting saidbolt in aligned apertures of said parts, a locking means carried by said bolt to lock it in said aligned apertures, a key :for actuating said lockingr means, means carried by said bolt for maintaining said key in said bolt when the locking means is in the unlocked position, and means carried by said locking means to adapt said bolt to apertures ofl different thicknesses. i

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

OLIVER PRESTON SMITH. 

